Anette Landeros is walking away from the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in style.
Landeros, the organization’s departing president and CEO, accepted two gifts — tan cowboy boots embroidered with the chamber’s logo and a white Texas Rangers World Series baseball jersey emblazoned with her last name and the No. 1 — from board members at the end of a chamber luncheon Dec. 6.
The chamber’s accomplishments and goals were highlighted in the 2024 State of the Chamber address by Landeros, who will become chief strategic officer for Trinity Metro, the Fort Worth-area transit agency. She officially exits the chamber on Dec. 13 and starts her new job on Dec. 16.
“I’m excited to move on to my next journey,” she said.
The chamber event, held at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, attracted hundreds of people, including several City Council members and local business leaders, as Landeros recapped her five years as head of the organization — and announced future events that will highlight the city’s Latino leadership and businesses.
The League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic and Latin-American civil rights organization, will hold its 2026 national convention in Fort Worth, Landeros announced.
“It took a lot of work but I’m glad they’re coming,” she said of LULAC members.
Fort Worth is also being considered for the 2026 convention of the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, she added.
“Hosting both would be incredible,” Landeros said. “Fingers crossed, we’re selected.”
In her address, Landeros celebrated the Fort Worth Hispanic chamber’s evolution to add more programming and events to cultivate Latino leaders and provide them with new opportunities to grow their careers and businesses. The Hispanic organization also partnered with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce for events and training.
In 2024, the Hispanic chamber kicked off plans for renovation of its offices, advocated for minority- and women-owned businesses, developed state legislative priorities and worked to grow the city’s historically Hispanic Northside neighborhood through the Main Street America program.
During Landeros’ tenure, the chamber also launched the Hencho en Fort Worth — Spanish for “Made in Fort Worth” — campaign to spotlight local businesses, fostered scholarships for the master of business administration degree program at Texas Christian University, and created a summer music series and the Northside Posadas Artisan Mercado. The mercado will welcome visitors on three Saturdays this month, including Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, at 1420 N. Main St.
The chamber also created a publication to celebrate the organization’s 50th anniversary, held its first Fourth of July fireworks show on the Northside, and opened a multimedia room for community members to create content free of charge.
“We’re really excited about that,” Landeros said.
She also highlighted the chamber’s goals for 2025, which include reimagining chamber events and programs, strengthening member relations, advocating for members during the upcoming Texas legislative session, and growing Northside through economic development efforts.
Northside sits between the area north of downtown targeted for Panther Island development and the bustling Stockyards district. Landeros has led the charge to include Northside residents and Hispanic entrepreneurs in discussions about economic development and gentrification resulting from Panther Island.
The biggest goal, Landeros said, is a seamless leadership transition as the search for her replacement starts up.
“We have officially engaged a search firm,” Landeros told the Fort Worth Report. “The executive board decided to go ahead and make the investment in a formal search firm, assisting the chamber through this transition. Primarily, because we recognize that it is kind of a vital position, not only for the organization, but for the Latino community in general in terms of the chamber playing just a strong role in the voice for the community.”
The chamber’s search for a new president and CEO — officially opened for about a week — already attracted over 60 candidates, Landeros said.
“Our board members and myself are fielding any phone calls or questions people may have on the position,” she said. “I’ve had a few people reach out to me on what that demand is on a personal life. We’re very open and transparent about that.”
The chamber, she said, is “just trying to be a welcoming organization that is excited about their next leader.
“So hopefully lots of amazing, qualified candidates apply,” Landeros said. “My dream is that we have just a wealth of talent that is competing for this role. I really do feel like the chamber has shown it can do really important things and so how can we make sure we have the right leader to do those things.”
Making the decision to transition away from her chamber role was bittersweet only because the organization is in strong shape, she added.
“We have an amazing board, we have an amazing team, we’re in a great financial situation,” Landeros said. “We’re taking on meaty, important work and making an incredible impact on the community.”
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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